Where to buy lime/basswood for carving

[Alexdermietzel97]

Hi Natural buchcraft,

I have recently started wood carving and have made some okay stuff. Since I enjoyed it so much; I have just treated myself to some flexcut knives. I have been using scrapes of wood from my shed to carve but it is tough to carve and often splinters/splits. I have heard that lime/American basswood is the best for carving but I can't seem to find any stockists. Does anyone know any stockists or alternative woods?

Thank you,

Alex:)

[Thumbcrusher]

http://www.john-boddy-timber.ltd.uk/news.htm in the past i've had stuff from this supplier. postage may be high though unless you can get there yourself to collect!

[rossbird]

I have used Lime wood I have sourced locally, by far the best option.
Lime often sprouts branches low down, which grow quickly. I remove these branches when they get to a size I am looking for.
If done well, no harm is done to the tree.

[Humakt]

Try model shops- Hobbycraft and that kind of thing.
They sell basswood. You'll find it where the balsa is.
It's mostly thin sheets, mind you. But you should be able to get some blocks as well.
This won't be the cheapest way of doing it, mind you. But it depends on how much you need.

[Silverback]

wish Id know sooner just chipped a load of lime limbs from a job today...mind you postage may have been a bit steep

[Adam Savage]

Have a look through this site (linky (http://www.stilesandbates.co.uk/browse.php/section/58/level/2)).
Stiles and Bates are a great source of small amounts of wood, in all sorts of species. The listing for each one tells you a little about the characteristics too normally.
The postage is quite good too, especially if you order a handful of bits at a time.

[Alexdermietzel97]

I have ordered some from here
http://hobby.uk.com/materials/wood.html

Thank you for your help everyone:),

Alex.